GNP - Day 4

[Bob Israel]

It was another cold start with frost evident around the campground. This day was an 'off' day from the trail. Although, in the end, we hiked a more than 10 miles. The Waterton ranger suggested we hike the trail along Waterton Lake to the US/Canadian border. It was a beautiful day and decided to take his advice. Along the way, we ran into a group of 4 hikers who were just about to complete the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) from the Mexican border to Canada. They've been hiking since mid-April!!! When we got to the border, the group was celebrating, laughing, crying and hugging one another. You could feel their emotions and their sense of accomplishment. We took some photos and videos for them. Finally, they decided to jump into Waterton Lake together and I couldn't resist capturing the moment. There were a few other groups and it was fun to talk to them about their journey.

We got some help to capture a photo of my son and I standing at the border. Kevin is in Canada and I'm in the US. Behind us, you can see the clear cut line up the mountain that represents the US/Canadian border. Supposedly, there are cameras along the border which are monitored.

We returned to camp and decided to hike in the other direction to Rainbow Falls. It is only a mile each way from camp. It is a beautiful scene with a mountain backdrop whether you look up river or down. My on sensor 6-stop ND would be useful here to get a long enough shutter speed to blur the water. I would love to come here during sunrise/sunset to capture this area . . . perhaps someday.

Finally, we returned to the shore of Waterton Lake and captured a few last images including Kevin appearing to walk on water. A pretty good day.

 

[ProCaliberTraveler]

Did the guy on the left jump in the water with shoes on? In any case, that's a huge accomplishment to walk from Mexico to Canada!

These have more of a light and relaxed feel compared to yesterday's set. The one with Kevin standing in the water has a dream-like quality to it. How were you feeling after three days on the trail?

 

[AlanLichty]

Once again some stunning scenery and a great backstory narrating the sequence. Was this the far point of your adventure?

 

[Bob Israel]

Did the guy on the left jump in the water with shoes on? In any case, that's a huge accomplishment to walk from Mexico to Canada!

These have more of a light and relaxed feel compared to yesterday's set. The one with Kevin standing in the water has a dream-like quality to it. How were you feeling after three days on the trail?

The guy on the left was wearing either water shoes or Crocs.

To this point, I was feeling pretty good on the trail. Only day 2 did we have a long climb. I felt like I was able to recover overnight so by morning, I was ready to go again. This was only my second back packing trip ever and first in the back country. I learned a lot! And Day 5 I would learn even more as it was our biggest climbing day. 2500 foot vertical gain over 4.5 miles. While I'm in good shape, at 65 yrs old, I can't push up the mountain like my son (who is half my age) can. Pace is important. Listening to your breathing is important. I figured it all out on our last day.

 

[Bob Israel]

Once again some stunning scenery and a great backstory narrating the sequence. Was this the far point of your adventure?

Thanks Alan - This was as far north as we would go. The next stop would be a campground called Fifty Mountain, named because you have a 360 view of presumably 50 mountains. It is probably the most remote of our campground sites and high in the Glacier alpine. That story for the next episode!

 

[MonikaC]

Sounds like a good day, Bob. And a good introduction to backcountry backpacking. I particularly like the one of Kevin on the water.

 

[Bob Israel]

Sounds like a good day, Bob. And a good introduction to backcountry backpacking. I particularly like the one of Kevin on the water.

Thanks Monika! I like your backpacking stories as well. Kevin loves the Wind River range . . . he was there last year.

 

[Ben Egbert]

What a neat set you have here, Some whimsical and some very scenic. All nice.